Ligature package



April 16, 1957 R. B. HARKNESS EI'AL LIGATURE PACKAGE Filed May 22, 1953 United States Patent C LIGATURE PACKAGE Reed B. Harkness, University City, and Eleanor E. Lacey, St. Louis, Mo., assignors to The C. Dewitt Lukeus Surgical Manufacturing Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application May 22, 1953, Serial No. 356,762

4 Claims. (Cl. 206-633) This invention relates to ligature tube containers, and more particularly to a single-use sealed container of this class enabling transfer of a sterile ligature tube through an unsterile onto a sterile field.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a single-use ligature tube container wherein a conventional ligature tube (a sealed glass tube containing a sterile ligature and a quantity of asepticizing fluid) is retained with its outer surface sterile, and from which the tube may be readily dispensed by a simple one-hand operation without any substantial possibility of contaminating the sterile outer surface of the tube; the provision of a container of the class described wherein the ligature tube may be packed dry, i. e., without any asepticizing fluid surrounding the tube; the provision of a container of this class comprising a receptacle having a cap telescoped on one end such that with the receptacle held in one hand, the cap may be readily pushed off by the thumb of the hand; the provision of a container of this class wherein the cap is of a special form whereby it is constrained for disengagement from the receptacle in such way as to eliminate substantially any possibility of contaminating the sterile outer surface of the tube as the tube is subsequently dispensed from the receptacle; and the provision of a container of this class which is economical to manufacture and adapted for safe shipment. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

Fig. l is a view in elevation of a ligature tube container of this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal cross section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, and broken away in the center;

Fig. 3 is a perspective of a cap per se of the container:

Fig. 4 is a view showing a mode of removing the cap; and

Fig. 5 is a View showing how the ligature tube is dispensed from the receptacle.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corre sponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, a ligature tube container of our invention is shown to comprise an elongate generally cylindrical receptacle 1 closed at one end as indicated at 3, and open at its other. The open month end of the receptacle is provided with an internal bevel as indicated at 5. The receptacle 1 is preferably made of a transparent plastic material, with a thin flexible wall. Its inside diameter is somewhat greater than that of the ligature tube 7 packaged therein, and its length is somewhat greater than that of the tube. The outside surface of the receptacle 1 isof substantially uniform cross sectionthroughout the length of the receptacle to provide a substantially smooth exterior surface which terminates at the open end of the receptacle. The ligature tube 7 is a conventional roundedend glass ligature tube in which is sealed a ligature 9 and a quantity of asepticizing fluid 11 to insure sterile conditions within the tube. The receptacle 1 is closed by a cap 13 slidably telescoped on the receptacle at its open end, the ligature tube 7 being sealed in the capped receptacle under sterile conditions with respect to the outside surface of the tube, the inside of the receptacle, and the inside of the cap at the open end of the receptacle, without any asepticizing fluid in the receptacle.

The cap 13 is preferably molded of a plastic material. As shown, it has a cylindrical skirt 15 having a close sliding fit on the outside of the receptacle, with an integral longitudinal extension 17 from the skirt of less than semicylindrical form. The extension 17 extends along the outside of the receptacle 1 and is shaped in cross section to correspond substantially to the shape of the exterior surface of the receptacle. At its end, the extension 17 has an outwardly projecting bead 19. A tapered nose 21 extends from the head 23 of the cap into the receptacle 1, there being an annular groove 25 between the nose and the skirt 15 receiving the mouth end of the receptacle. The base of the nose at its widest portion adjacent the head of the cap has a taper corresponding to the internal bevel 5 at the mouth of the receptacle, and the beveled end of the receptacle is thus tightly received in the bottom of the groove 25. The nose acts to reinforce the month end of the flexible-walled receptacle 1, and prevents breaking of the seal between the cap and the receptacle by preventing deformation of the mouth end of the receptacle. In the end of the nose is a recess 27 adapted to accommodate the adjacent rounded end of the ligature tube 7. After the tube 7 has been inserted in the receptacle 1 and the latter capped under the sterile conditions above mentioned, the capped end of the receptacle is sealed as by a coating 29 of microcrystalline wax. This serves as a seal for indicating whether the'container has been opened. A paper seal may be used instead of the wax seal.

The above-described construction is such as to hold the ligature tube 7 sealed in the capped receptacle under sterile conditions during storage and shipment and until the time of use at the operating table. When a ligature is needed at the operating table, the attendant (such ,as the unsterile nurse) simply takes up the container in one hand as illustrated in Fig. 4, holding it in the upwardly inclined position shown, and, applying the tip of the thumb to the head 19 at the end of extension 17, pushes the cap 13 toward the end of the receptacle with the thumb to the point where the cap, when released by than semicylindrical form. Then, as shown in Fig. 5

the receptacle is tilted to a downwardly inclined position to allow the tube 7 to slide out into the sterile field, without being touched by the attendant. also be removed by applying the tip of the thumb bev.hind the head 19, rather than on top of the bead, and

pushing it oif directly in one motion, without holding down on the extension 17.

It will be observed that the tilting of the cap 'as it drops ofi. thefreceptacle (which tilting could not occur if the skirt of the cap were not provided with the extension 17) insures against contamination of the lip of The cap may.

of contamination from the cap to thelip of the receptacle (from whence it might be picked upiby the tube 7 as the latter slides out of the receptacle) is. avoided. Further safety in this respect results from the provision of the bevel '5, which tends to keep the tube sliding out of the receptacle from contacting the lip of the receptacle. Thus, even though the container maybe highly contaminated on the outside, the ligature tube may be readily dispensed by a simple one-hand operation with assurance that the tube is delivered in sterile condition. Containers of our invention may be cheaply transported (since they eliminate any necessity for having the ligature tubes immersed in asepticizing flu d), and may even be carried in the pocket or-rni'litary service kits, without precluding the possibility of dispensing sterile ligature tubes.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be madein the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A single-use single ligature tube package comprising an elongate receptacle having a single ligature tube therein, said tube having a ligature sealed therein, the

7 the length of the receptacle to provide a substantially smooth exterior surface which terminates at the open end of the receptacle, said receptacle having a cap slidably telescoped thereon at its open end, said cap having a skirt which has a close longitudinally sliding fit on the outside of the receptacle, said tube being sealed in the capped receptacle with the outside surface of the-tube, the inside surfaceof the receptacle, and the inside of the cap at the open end of the receptacle in sterile condition, said receptacle being adapted to be held in the 'hand in posiarranges tion for pushing off the cap with the thumb, and the cap having an integral longitudinal. extension from its skirt extending along the outside of the receptacle for engagement by the thumb to push the cap longitudinally off the receptacle and adaptedfor tilting-away from the receptacle as the cap drops 011? the receptacle, said extension being shaped in cross section to correspond substantially to the shape of the exterior surface of the receptacle.

2. A single-use single ligature tube package comprising an elongate cylindrical receptacle having a single ligature tube therein, said tube having a ligature sealed therein, the length of said receptacle being somewhat greater than the length of the tube and the diameter of the receptacle being somewhat greater than the diameter of the tube, said receptacle being closed at one end and open at the other, and having a cap slidably telescoped thereon at its open end, said cap having a skirt which has a close longitudinally sliding'fit on the outside of the receptacle and a nose extending into the open end of the receptacle, the open end of the receptacle being tightly received between the nose and the skirt, saidtube being sealedin the capped receptacle with the outside surface of the tube, 'the inside surface of'the-receptacle, and the inside of the cap at the open end of the receptacle in sterile condition, said receptacle being'adapted to be held inthe hand in R sition for pushing 01f theicap'with the thumb, and, the cap. having alongitudinal extension fromitsskirf extending along the outside of the receptacle for engagement by the thumb to push the cap longitudinally ofi the receptacle and adapted for tilting away from the receptacle as the cap drops oi the receptacle, said extension being curved in cross section to correspond substantially to the cylindrical shape of the exterior surface otthe receptacle.

3. A single-use single ligature tube package comprising an elongate cylindrical plastic.receptacle having a single ligature tube therein, said tube having a ligature sealed.

therein, the length of said receptacle being somewhat greater than the lengthof the tube and thediameter of the receptacle being somewhat greater .than the diameter of the tube, said receptacle being closed at one end and open at the other, and having a cap slidablytelescoped thereon at its open end, saidcap having a skirt which has a close longitudinally sliding fit on the outside of the receptacle,

and a nose extending into the open end of the receptacle, theopen tendlof the receptacle being tightly. received between the nose andthe skirt, said tube being sealed in the capped receptacle with the outside surface of the tube, the inside surface of the receptacle, and the inside of the cap at the open end of the receptacle in sterile condition, said receptacle being adapted to be held in the hand in position for pushing ofi the .cap. with the thumb, and the cap having a longitudinal extension from its skirt extending along the outside of the receptacle, .said extension being curved in cross section to correspond substantially to the cylindrical shape of the exterior surface of the receptacle andbeing of less than semicylindrical form, said extension having an. outwardly projecting bead at its end for engagement by the thumb. to push the cap off the receptacle.

4. A single-use single ligature tube package comprising an elongate cylindrical flexible plastic receptacle having a single ligature tube therein, said. tube having a ligature, sealed therein, the length of said receptacle being somewhat greater thanv the length ofthe-tube and the diameter of the receptacle being somewhat greater than the diann eter of the tube, saidv receptacle being closed at one end and open at the other and having an internal bevel at its open end, said receptacle having a plastic cap slidably telescoped thereon at its open end, said cap having a skirt which has. a close longitudinally sliding fit on the outside of. the receptacle and a nose extending into the open end of the receptacle, the open end of the receptacle being tightly. received between the nose and the skirt, said tube being sealed in. the capped receptacle with the outside surface of the tube, the inside surface of the receptacle, and the inside of the cap at the open endof the receptacle in sterile condition, said receptacle being adapted to be held in, the hand in position for pushing oil the cap with the thumb, and the cap having a longitudinal extension from its, skirt extending along the outside of the receptacle, said extension being curved incross section to correspond substantially .to the cylindrical shape of the exterior surface of the receptacle and being of less than semicylindrical form, said extension having an outwardly projecting bead at its end for engagement by the thumb to push the cap off the receptacle.

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